terrible
adjective
ter·ri·ble
ˈter-ə-bəl 
ˈte-rə-
1
: extremely bad: such as
a
: notably unattractive or objectionable
terrible behavior
b
: of very poor quality
a terrible movie
c
: strongly repulsive : obnoxious
a terrible smell
2
a
: difficult
in a terrible bind
b
: formidable in nature : awesome
a terrible responsibility
c
: exciting extreme alarm or intense fear : terrifying
terribleness
noun
Examples of terrible in a Sentence
Traffic was held up by a terrible accident.
I have a terrible cold.
The service at that restaurant is terrible.
Recent Examples on the Web
The show’s Great White Way debut had a stroke of terrible timing with opening night scheduled for March 12, 2020, the precise day all Broadway theaters were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—
Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Over 2,500 years ago, researchers believe that a 25- to 30-year-old woman most likely fell off a horse, as the Pazyryk were a nomadic culture, and suffered terrible injury to her jaw, as the CT scans revealed.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
Leaving wet clothes in the washing machine for too long can lead to mold and mildew, which could permanently stain your clothes—and lead to terrible smells.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2026
The terrible action in private-asset managers as a few credit funds undergo stress is mostly being roped off as an isolated problem area without much impact on the core banking sector, for now.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
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Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Over 2,500 years ago, researchers believe that a 25- to 30-year-old woman most likely fell off a horse, as the Pazyryk were a nomadic culture, and suffered terrible injury to her jaw, as the CT scans revealed.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
Leaving wet clothes in the washing machine for too long can lead to mold and mildew, which could permanently stain your clothes—and lead to terrible smells.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2026
The terrible action in private-asset managers as a few credit funds undergo stress is mostly being roped off as an isolated problem area without much impact on the core banking sector, for now.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrible. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrible
adjective
ter·ri·ble
ˈter-ə-bəl
2
a
: very great in degree
made a terrible mess
a terrible cold
b
: very bad in quality
terrible music
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